Biya gives Iya, Adoum Garoua ultimatum to bring back Eto’o or face the music

By Tamfu Harrison Bawe in Yaounde

Like the majority of Cameroonians, President Paul Biya cannot fathom how the Indomitable Lions would be absent from the Africa Cup of Nations on two consecutive occasions. For this reason, he has given a firm instruction to the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) president, Iya Mohammed, and sport and physical education minister, Adoum Garoua, to bring back Samuel Eto’o Fils to the den or face the music.

Eto'o at Star Building with PM Yang Philemon

Eto’o’s absence from the squad is believed to be the principal reason why they were humbled 2 – 0 by little known Cape Verde on September 8, 2012 in their first leg last round qualifying game for next year’s Africa Cup of Nation. The Anzhi Makhachkala superstar refused to heed a call to join the team after his eight-match ban for alleged indiscipline expired in last August.

As it stands, the Lions are likely not to qualify for the 2013 African football championship if their attacking machinery is not reinforced. And the best way in which such reinforcement can be done is the inclusion in the team of Samuel Eto’o, one of the most lethal strikers in the globe, who holds the record as the best all-time scorer of Cameroon’s national team and Africa’s most decorated footballer.

Reason why on high instructions of the head of state, the prime minister, head of government has ordered Iya Mohamed and Adoum Garoua to do all in their power to convince the football demon to return to the fold. Even though the official statement does not say what penalty awaits the two personalities if they do not “correct their error of suspending Eto’o”, inside sources say they will pay dearly if they fail to make him rejoin the team.

Iya and Adoum Garoua are thus expected in Russia this week to dialogue with the highest paid footballer on earth. They will be accompanied by Jean Paul Akono, the newly appointed trainer of the team, and Jean Manga Onguene, the national technical director of football. While there, they will also seek to convince Eto’o’s club mate, Bernard Angbwa, to return to the team as well.

Their mission abroad will equally take them to England and France where they are also expected to meet and dialogue with Benoît Assou Ekoto, Jean II Makoun and Jean Armel Kana Biyick for the same purpose.

It should be recalled that Makoun and Angbwa had vowed not to play for the Lions anymore if Eto’o’s eight-month ban was not lifted. Makoun recently reiterated his intention not to come back if Eto’o is not part of the team. For his part, Assou Ekoto deliberately refused to return to the selection after the 2010 World Cup in South Africa for what he, like Eto’o, calls amateurism in football management in Cameroon. As for the young Kana Biyick, he has simply not responded to two calls to join the team for reasons best known to him.